[Closed] @eidxiety🧜‍♀️🔬

[winterbolt]

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[dyn4m0]

[Edward Grenore, (He wouldn't answer to his full name, only "Add"), had been working as a Marine Biologist for two years now. Six years total of his life, up to this point, has been dedicated to learning, getting his degree, and finding work at a facility that studies marine wildlife. Of course, when his initial final years of study included things such as rehabilitating sea lion pups, or helping to detangle whales from fishing nets, or tagging sea birds to study their migration patterns...never did he think he would be in the position he's in today.

To say that he thought he would be working with a program that studies the Siren populations of the world would be a gross understatement. The Siren, also known as Siren Lacertina, has been known to the world as a species for only the last century or so, having very recently been discovered in the mid 1900s on the distant shores of southeast Asia. It was rapidly surmised that populations of these humanoid fish creatures live in pockets all over the Atlantic to the Pacific, which would quickly prove true. Although they could be found in almost any part of the world, it was discovered even faster that the population- as far as a species on the planet earth went- was critically endangered. Human interference, intentional or not, was likely a lot to blame for overtaking their native habitats, introducing toxins and trash into the sea that would make them sick and die, as well as more and more generations struggling to produce the offspring needed to survive. It was this, among many other factors including the moral dilemma of wanting to save this race, while also treading the questionable ethics line when it came to dealing with creatures that were clearly sentient, that finally gave rise to the organization Add works with now.

The Organized Conservation Experiment and Notation of Sirens, or O.C.E.A.N.S. for short, had been making great strides in the conservation and study of Sirens for the last thirty or so years, so Add's meager participation seems like a little more than a drop in the bucket compared to what others have accomplished. Being still in his early twenties, Add normally wouldn't qualify for a project of this severity and magnitude, but even just in his short time with the organization he had proven himself in spades. He'd uncovered, some-fucking-how, a rare disease that had been rapidly causing the decline of a specific population of Sirens off the coast of New Mexico, allowing chemists the time and resources needed to actually study and hopefully come up with a possible cure, or at the very least a treatment to prevent more cases like it. It had been determined to be genetic, which was far better than a sort of Siren-to-Siren transmitted disease, but the knowledge had still been invaluable. He was also responsible for assisting in the hand-relocation of more than eight full pods over the last two years in various places around the world. He'd tagged countless of them, taken part in feeding, examining, and studying their behavior. If anyone were a promising candidate for this project, it would be Add.

It's Monday when he's brought into the room with the massive wall-to-wall holding tank for one of the largest Siren pods they oversee, with countless individuals for him to choose from to study. Any would suffice, male or female, he'd just need to avoid picking a juvenile as this specimen would be hopefully inducted into their breeding program over the next few months, which had been in its infancy up to this point. His superiors had silently expected Add to pick one of the stronger, larger males as his subject. One of the Sirens with sharper edges and darker patterns, a physique that clearly categorized them as exceptional examples of their species. They weren't the Alpha, no- that title belonged to an utterly massive orca-patterned male with a bent fin that oversaw the entire pod- but they would undoubtedly be sires for many hatchlings in the hopefully near future.

But none of them catch Add's eye as he walks down the length of the tank with a clipboard under one arm, his other hand buried in his coat pocket as his eyes follow each Siren one by one. A pretty pink female sits in the sand braiding the hair of a purple female (they're sapphics), while nearby a pair of juveniles play and kick up the sand while they roll around with each other. Further down the way is an older male with scars indicating his experience, an ideal subject for study...

The thudding of his work boots stops as his eyes catch on a Siren that had been zipping around elegantly near the surface as he eventually swims down to the sand, watching him silently as he picks up pebbles every so often. It's hard to say what he's doing- maybe he's making something with them. He's much sleeker than the other males- a little chubby around the hips, even- with flowing fins like he's wearing a dress, bright greens and whites that stand out amongst the other, darker patterned ones around him. Add watches him in silence for a moment, tapping the edge of his thumb against his clipboard thoughtfully.]

That one. He'll do.

[He indicates the green Siren with a nod of his head, which ends up being the signal for the careful transfer process to begin. They still didn't understand Siren language- and it was hard to say for sure how much of their own the Sirens understood, it was just known that they are sentient like humans are- so they can't just ask Ain to swim into the holding tank they have waiting nearby. So, in the gentlest, least upsetting way possible, they carefully nudge the Sirens apart with a soft tool, almost like a long spatula, that just pokes them to get them to swim in another direction. The green one is isolated before he likely realizes it as a thin panel comes down in the tank to separate him off fully from the pod. This isn't an uncommon thing, as Sirens need to be taken out every so often for examination, and it's usually a fairly simple process to coax them into the holding tank outside of the main pod with a bit of fish or chicken.

Add will wait long enough to make sure his picked Siren gets into the tank without injury before he walks off to his new office to wait for him to be brought over.]

[eidxiety]

[Ain is what they would call an "omega male" and "not good breeding stock really" and also "a little silly but loveable anyway".

His pod had first been discovered off the coast of Germany in the North Sea, where they'd climbed up onto the beach from the cold sea and sang songs until the local authorities were called. Sirens could be dangerous to humans, after all, in a way quite similar to sharks and man-o-wars and the sort; it's also illegal in most developed countries to just touch them without being interacted with first, like seals. Thus, a bunch of them lumped up together and playing could very well be a huge legal issue, if not one for the race that's going extinct, and since most humans don't like the thought of extinction events... the authorities were called, scientists came and scooped up the ones they could for research. Some were re-released. Ain, who was always a bit strange both in appearance — most Sirens are identifiable as similar to at least one sort of fish, and Ain has traits of several — and in behaviour (he wouldn't let them tag him, but was fully willing to simply spend hours following humans around and handing them random things in an attempt to trade for their pens) was brought back to the facility proper. He quickly had acclimated to the other Sirens in the large tank, though loud sounds, checkups involving needles, or devices with too many lights would make him quite skittish.

To that end, while he's used to being yoinked from the tank for checkups, he does not like them. Thus does he try to bite the metal rod until he's sufficiently been scooped and lured away, going slack in the grip of the human who has him but chirping sadly the whole time. If they come at him with a needle he Will make a whole lot of noise about it and try to hide under the nearest thing.

Luckily, so far, it doesn't seem like he'll be jabbed today. Ain does not understand the long jab; it feels like sea urchin spines to him, and it comes without the fun effects of pufferfish venom. What's the point? He's trying to learn humanspeak so that he can understand why, but the only words he knows around that topic in general are that "checkup" gets used whenever they pull him out and prod him with things, and "checkup" is very hard to say. He knows "no", too, which is a very easy word to say! Humanspeak is difficult, though, and he's been too scared to say "no" to checkup because what if he says it wrong?

(The scientists are soon going to figure out that Ain is a very anxious Siren if they haven't already.)

But, Ain gets brought. When they get tired of carrying his bulk around, they simply set him down and wait for him to transform into a more land-friendly form — the process of which has been researched quite extensively, including x-rays which is another machine Ain did not like on account of the noise — and then lead him on with food. Ain will big steppy his way into the room they're taking him to and be given sashimi for his efforts, because he is a good boy and he follows instruction well.

Unfortunately they have yet to correlate in his brain that if he's good for checkups, he gets more food (and they're also trying to get him from getting too fat, because they've noticed that his tail isn't getting much longer but is in fact getting wider), but he's here anyway. Perhaps today's the day for reinforcing good behaviour.]

[dyn4m0]

[It's a good thing that Sirens can walk around on their own with a little bit of coaxing. Well, MOST will, some simply refuse to transform even when "asked", but others- like Ain- just need the promise of a snack and they'll happily oblige. It makes it easier for transporting them from one room to the other, which is really the most important thing. Add's new office is already set up with a large tank that fits into the corner with a large, oval shaped domed exterior. It's a fraction of the size of the massive tank Ain was in, but given that he's the only occupant, it's plenty enough space for a single Siren. A little imitation cave has been set up in the back corner of the wall for hiding and sleeping, and the bottom of the tank is filled with the usual sand and silt layer that Sirens would be living on in the wild. A few enrichment items have already been placed in here for him like seashells and rocks, but any additions like toys would be carefully controlled by Add during his studies. It's bare for now, but that's by design.

He stands back and watches as the scientists guide Ain to the ramp up to the platform at the top of the tank where he can just slip back into the water headfirst. He'll shift back to his normal form shortly thereafter, though he's probably VERY confused as to why he didn't get a checkup....well don't worry, that's coming soon enough.

Add speaks with his colleagues for a moment before they'll take their leave, giving Add a chance to let the Siren become acclimated to his new surroundings. He's already taking notes, talking to himself as he watches him.]

Subject #1226, huh....appears docile and fairly skittish when presented with the task of leaving the tank. Easily enticed with food.

Guess they didn't give you a nickname yet.

[eidxiety]

[Ain immediately swims into the dome because he's never seen a bubble maintain its shape for this long! :OOOOO says his expression as he patpats against the glass, then realises that it's glass and looks baffled by this fact because how did the humans do this? What magic is this?

And then he licks it. He licks the glass. It tastes like glass.

He does not understand, but that's okay. Not everything is meant to be understood. And there's a human there, one he thinks he's seen before, and Ain waves to the human while he speaks in humanspeak that can't be heard through the glass. Ain clicks back at him to say hello before swimming deeper into the tank to investigate. He has a cave, and that's good, but where are things to play with? Digging yields shells, but there are no bones buried under the sediment from meals that the pod would have and hide the bones for to make jewellery or to play with. There are no pearls, and the stones are all very standard, and there are no corals or kelps.

Oh, but this human might give him something! Ain swims back to the front of the tank and taps on the glass and then makes vague writing motions.

Pen. He wants your pen.]

[dyn4m0]

[Add is still writing notes as Ain explores his new enclosure, completely aware that he lacks a lot of the usual enrichment items he's probably used to. What he isn't expecting is for Ain to mime at him what he wants- something other Sirens have been observed doing in the past- and immediately just that much alone delights Add to see.]

Oh hoooh. You're a clever one, aren't you?

[Well. Clever, yes, but Add will learn eventually how dumb he can be at the same time. You win some you lose some...for now, he's furiously writing down notes, shaking his head a little as Ain indicated he wants his pen.]

Sorry, but you can't have this. [Not just for the fact he's using it. You'd try to eat it, break the pen, get ink in your mouth and the tank...bad for Sirens.] But I do have some things you can have, if you're good for your exam.

[And since he knows Ain can't understand (or hear) him, he'll tuck his clipboard under his arm momentarily as he walks over to his desk, using his boot to pull a box out from under it. With one hand, he rummages around until he pulls out two objects that he brings over to the tank, holding them up for Ain to see. One is a rubber kong toy, while the other is a cluster of colorful plastic weighted rings.]

Which one do you like?

[eidxiety]

[Ain drifts in front of the glass, looking at Add curiously. Are those for him? The current carries him slightly upwards, and he adheres himself to the glass with his four tentacles to keep himself from floating off while he perceives.

To be clear, he adheres himself upside-down so he's looking at Add upside-down now. What was this about smart?

He knows that when humans hold up two items like this, they mean that he has to choose one. He's fallen for this trick before, and he won't fall for it again. To that end, he meets Add's eyes, looks at the toys being offered, and slaps both hands against the glass right where Add's are held up.

He will have both. Thank you :) ]

[dyn4m0]

Oh? Both?

[Smart...well. Smarter than the way he's currently clinging to the glass. Why are you doing that...the blood's going to rush to your head, dummy.

Before he gets underway with his exam, he's curious. He wants to see how far Ain will push this...so he shakes his head no, then holds up one finger.]

You can only pick one. Which one?

[eidxiety]

[Ain flips himself rightside-up and continues to stare at Add. "One", huh... he looks at his hands, the webbing between them making it more difficult — but not impossible — to perfectly flex each digit independently like humans can. He wiggles them once, then looks back at Add, who's telling him "no" right now. Ain doesn't know the human word for "yes", and crosses his arms briefly, looking indignant while he floats there.

He sticks his tongue out at Add and goes "bleh!" and then holds up two fingers as best he can due to the webbing. It's flexible, but his ring and pinky finger sort of hover at an awkward bend due to being attached as they are.]

[dyn4m0]

Stubborn.

[Alright, so he wants both...and he's not taking no for an answer. Here Add thought Ain would be obedient out of nerves, maybe because he doesn't know him well or what to expect out of him...very interesting.

He pauses a moment to write some more notes before he looks to Ain again.]

Let's try one more thing.

[He moves to a shelving unit against the wall, pulling a drawer open until he finds some of the high value treats he's stored in here. It takes him a moment, but he figures the experiment will be worth it.

When he returns, he holds the toys up again, this time with the Kong stuffed with peanut butter. Again, he holds up one finger.]

Which one?

[eidxiety]

[He's not scared of humans until they a) yell b) put him next to a machine with too many lights c) stab him d) are loud for other reasons e) construction sounds or g) printer noise. Basically Ain does not like certain sounds because he doesn't know what they are or what animal they come from, and he fears this animal (the printer).

This time, Ain backs away from the tank and looks at Add, considering strongly. But he still wants both, but now for different reasons. There's a food substance that looks like dirt in the chewy one, and he's familiar with both of these — since Ain has the tendency to cram things into his mouth, they gave him a lot of those kong toys (sometimes filled with the sweet dirt) so he wouldn't eat things he wasn't supposed to. But, he likes the colourful thing for playing with, and they don't look as fun to chew on, nor are they full of sweet dirt.

He points with a tentacle at the kong toy and makes an eating motion. He's seen humans come in with food in a small object and a stick with a round end early in the mornings, and though he doesn't have enough vocabulary to describe it, the food looked like a pale paste and the food-stick was used to eat it. Ain makes eating motions like he's eating yogurt at the kong toy, and then motions to the colourful rings, where he makes such gestures as tossing and catching to show Add that he wants that one to play with.

He is not choosing one. Give him both.]

[dyn4m0]

Mm. Not even peanut butter is enough to sway your opinion.

[He moves to put the toys on his desk for now, picking up his clipboard so he can write this down.]

Alright. I can be convinced to let you have both...but you have to be good for your exam.

[Hmm...how does he articulate this?

He goes over to the toys again, picks them up, and brings them over to what they call an examination tank, which is a shallow pool that Sirens are placed in to rest while they're being examined. If you're good and have your exam, he'll give you them both. But if you're bad- Add bares his teeth, then mimes biting his own finger- before shaking his head. Ain won't get either toy.]

[eidxiety]

[Excitement at communicating with the human turns into horror. Oh no... the Examination Tank™. But he hates the examination tank, that's where they do the "checkup" and that's a Bad Thing. Ain deflates immediately, fins flattening against his tail, tentacles drooping. He looks so sad, so betrayed, by the very thought of the checkup.

But he wants :( the toyes :(

Defeated, Ain sinks to the bottom of the tank and lays flat on his face. He is now experiencing Depression.]

[dyn4m0]

[And just like that, Ain's gone from stubborn to depressed...Add is of course writing this down too. He needs to document everything, and learn every tick and quirk about this Siren that he can.]

Huhuhu...are you going to be difficult for me, now? Just so you know, I won't tolerate any bad behavior.

[Ain of course can't hear or understand this, so it's more him speaking aloud than anything as he walks up the steps to the top of the tank, reaching for what literally looks like a big ol' net to just.

Gently Scoop Ain's lower half into it, lifting him up with a little difficulty so he can get him up onto the landing. Usually Sirens can just swim to the surface on command to be lifted, but sometimes if they're sick (or being flat), they need some help. From here, assuming Ain doesn't try to stop him, Add will scoop him bridal style into his arms and lug him over to the pool.]

[eidxiety]

[The scientist who invented the siren net: well i was at petco and they scooped the goldfish so like,

Anyway, yeah, Ain wants Toyes so bad (ones he doesn't have to share, mind you) that he simply continues to be flat as he's lifted. He offers no resistance, but doesn't exactly help either, simply letting the net prod him while the gills along his ribs do all the breathing for him. He is, y'know, face-in-sand currently throwing a fit.

It's easy to scoop him into a bridal carry, and he does nothing other than be a very dramatic dead weight in Add's arms until he's set down in the examination tank. He really wants the pen he can see in Add's pocket but hhhhh if he's bad he doesn't get the things to play with, and then he really will be flat on the bottom of the tank forever. He might even kick his tailfins about it.

He does sit up when placed down, trying to spin around to see what Add's doing. As much as he hates this part of his stay at the human den, he can't help but be curious. What doing?]

[dyn4m0]

[The tank itself is different compared to the tanks that actually hold Sirens. They're very shallow, just full of a few inches of water at most, and sloped inwards like a bath tub. The walls are grippy, made of silicone or something similar, so there's less chance of falling out if the Siren panics and tries to escape. The water will keep him hydrated, and hopefully the shape is comfy...his tail will be hanging over the edge a bit, but that's necessary for Add to actually give him said exam.

As he walks back to his desk, he grabs a rolling cart with a couple little drawers and some tools on a tray, sitting down in his office chair to roll over along with it. He'll grab a pair of latex gloves from a box on top of the tray so he can put them on both hands.]

You aren't getting any shots today, if that's what you're worried about. I'm just giving you a general physical...and I want to examine you a little more closely outside of the water. You just have to be still for me, okay?

[Hm. Actually...

Add leans over and picks up the Kong, holding it out for Ain to take.]

You can eat this while I work.

[eidxiety]

[ :O

Ain starts happy-chirping, half-chirps and half a song if Add is listening carefully enough to be able to tell, and takes the kong toy in his noodles to hold it while he painstakingly uses his too-long tongue to lick the peanut butter out exactly like a dog. You see, dogs and Sirens are actually the same animal—

Lick lick lick lick lick]

[dyn4m0]

[Good. That should distract him, at least for a while.

While Ain is busy licking the peanut butter, Add puts his clipboard nearby so he can take notes as he works. He'll start very basic to ease Ain into it, since he knows Ain still isn't familiar with him really at all. Meaning, he'll just check him over for injuries and abnormalities, same as they do with every Siren to make sure they're doing well. No damaged scales, no torn fins...with his hands gloved, he'll reach in and feel where the scales meet his skin, at his elbows, then around his neck and shoulders. He feels around his gills to make sure they're functioning as intended, then reaches down to let his fins pass over his palms and through his fingers. They're incredibly delicate, so he's careful, but everything seems to be in working order.]

You're very...dainty, for a male.

[eidxiety]

[Ain does not know words :)

He looks over at Add with his tongue deep in this toy, peanut butter on the corners of his lips. What is he saying? He needs to learn more humanspeak. He knows this part of the process is all about making sure he doesn't have injuries, or so it seems, so he's fine with this amount of poking. He'll even move his fin-wings out of the way if he must so Add can make sure those are good and that they work properly.

Lick, lick... he stops and licks his lips clean in one fluid motion, fluttering his frilly fins. Look how pretty he is! He is so pretty and healthy :) you should give him all the things he wants about it—]

[dyn4m0]

[He will! So long as you keep being good...

He will give Ain a full once-over, and once he's determined he's healthy, he'll move on to grabbing some tools from the cart. First is a thermometer to take his temperature, one of those ones you can just point at someone's forehead since the Sirens always try to eat the thermometers when placed in their mouths. Good, normal temperature...he'll put that aside and grab a stethoscope, hanging it around his neck so he can place either end in his ears.]

Let's see how your heart and lungs sound.

[Here it comes Ain, the cold metal thingy. Be strong.]

[eidxiety]

[Nooooo he HATES the cold metal thingy! He doesn't even know what it's for, all they do is push it against his chest, but it feels bad against his skin and he doesn't like how cold it is and he hates the texture of the cord it's on. Ain immediately makes a face and looks at Add, though he doesn't pull away because he's so Things Motivated and doesn't want to lose the rainbow rings. Be strong Ain. Be strong for rainbow toy.

He does make a sad squeak noise about it, though, earfins folding over his eyes while he pouts. In a very poor attempt at humanspeak, he squeaks out:]

Nooo...

[But it comes out a little wrong, "nouuuuuhh" is closer to the sound he makes. His social anxiety... he did say it wrong. He's done it terribly, now the humans will NEVER talk to him EVER again.]

[dyn4m0]

[............oh. That was.

Really...really cute? Uh?? But also...kindof impressive? He's never heard a Siren attempt to speak like that, at least not that clearly. Ain probably thinks he did a terrible job, but for someone who doesn't know the language NOR do they know how to even speak the words? It's really not that bad.

Add frowns a little and moves the stethoscope across Ain's chest, counting his heartbeats and listening to the rush of his lungs as well as the sound of the water being pulled through his gills on occasion.]

It's not hurting you, you're fine. Just be still and bear it for a minute...

[He'll listen for a few moments more, listening here, then there...before he'll pull away, satisfied.]

Good. [Taking a moment to write some quick notes here...] Reflexes now.

[He takes out his pen and holds it up, pointing to the tip. Then, he moves it this way, that way, up, down, expecting Ain's eyes to follow.]

[eidxiety]

[Ain is so sad and wet (literal) for the duration of the cold disk. He dislikes disks now. Actually, he thinks he's always disliked disks, because the only disk he's interacted with has been cold and miserable against his bare chest.

Anyway, Add brings out the pen and starts moving it around, and Ain's eyes fucking lock on to that shit like he's actively hunting it, white pupils dilating and fins flared out. There's a low growl in the back of his throat, not a hostile one, but a "hunting" one, like a cat that's seen a bird out the window. He is watching. He is waiting. The bobbins on his tail are swaying even though the pen cannot be hypnotized, and his tentacles are rising up...

Add you genuinely picked a horrible thing to do this reflex test with.]

[dyn4m0]

[He...may have made a mistake. But at the same time, getting to observe this kind of behavior is too fascinating for him to ignore. Add's expression shifts suddenly, going from casual intrigue to something a little more excited.

He holds the pen up slightly higher, wiggling it above Ain's head.]

Ohh? You want this?

[He moves it slowly, this way and that...]

Are you going to get it?

[Add you're GOING to get bitten-]

[eidxiety]

[Dude did they not teach you in your fancy fucking school to not tempt the beast?? Did they not teach you when you were in training to not mess with a Siren's hunting instinct?? Thank god two of Ain's tentacles are currently full of kong toy or this could go way worse, but.

The more Add goads him with it, the more his instincts take over. He must have the pen. He wants the pen. The pen is touy... toye... for Ain...

...

Thank god the inside of the exam tank is sloped, or Ain might've really thrown himself out of it with how hard he lunges after the pen, yoinking it from Add's fingers with his hands and narrowly managing to avoid scratching the man as he does, like he's purposely being careful to avoid harming anything around him. Except the tub, which can get fucked (the tub is fine he's just in it). He very well could've launched himself fully out of the tub and tackled Add to the floor over this, bitten him, tried to take it with his mouth... but no. Hands.

He has the pen now and he is looking down at it and clicking clicking clicking it. This is a good noise. A not scary noise. Click click click click click click]

[dyn4m0]

[Okay but, consider...Add is fucking insane. As it turns out, he values science and discovery above all else, even his own wellbeing. If Ain had bitten him, he would have just accepted it as a consequence of his actions. It's worth it to learn more about how Siren's behave.

To that end, he does flinch back with how quickly Ain snatches the pen from his hands, allowing him to grab it because like what ELSE do you do when a Siren is coming at you like that? He's allowed to have the pen for now while he's being supervised and Add can make sure he doesn't put it in his mouth, it's fine.]

Kekeke. I wonder what you would have done if your full attention was on me, just then?

[Thankfully he has another pen in a cup on his desk, which he'll roll over to and grab so he can take some more notes. While Ain curiously clicks the pen, Add flips to another page of his notes. Hmm...]

Almost done for now. I need to check one last thing...

[Ain is unaware, obviously, but...he's not just Add's study project. He's intended to be a key player in the upcoming breeding project, and while all of the pod has been cleared as far as being viable goes, he wants to check him out for himself. Now, knowing Sirens are sentient, he's not just going to go grabbing at him without warning. It's why he rests a hand on Ain's stomach first, his fingers edging towards the underside of his tail.

Are you going to let him check your slit Ain, this is for purely scientific purposes-]